Lubricator



ozenied duly l5, lld.

masserie@ i.. y l llarlllrlla 'HW'EHP EL HUQH'ES, 0F HOUSTGM,

5 vened e certain new and useful improve.

nient in Lubrieators, of which ihe Jfollowing is e full, clear, and exact description', such es.

will enable others skilled in the art to which it upper'tsins to make and use the same.

lvly invenion relates to lan improvement inluhricators Vlor use on roller boring drills Ain earth boring for oil, Water, gas, sulphur,

eee.

ln ihe use of roller boring drills in deep le wells it is common to use roller cutters on lie forwardv end of ille drill ywhich are adopted to roll upon the formation heine encountered and to thus disintegrate en. cut away the material. These rolling ouiuo ters, Working :it some depli below the sureee of the ground, must he supplied with 4 lubricant in order to properly function. ln suoli drilling,` it is common to uteeh the drill et the lower end of a hollow drill stem ihrough which flushing Huid is pumped downwardly throughehannels in the heed of ehe drill in such manner as to projeo the lluid against the cutters and to force this fluid, carrying the. eutings in suspension, 3o upwardly outside of the drill stein to the surfece of 'the ground. The drill, sherefore works under a heed of fluid standing in he well, and this fluid tends lo Work in around the hearings, under the high pressure et he hoioni of the hole. due to this heed of fluid. This condition lies to be teken into account in properly arranging a lubricetor io supply s lubricant to the bearings against this luid pressure.

ln my prior Parent. No. 930,759, issued August lil, 1909, l have shou'n luhriceor which is adaoted to overcome these diffe oulties. The luhricator comprises e barrel atached to the head. with lnbrioene und u pistou :ilcow ille lubric-unt is forced downwardly ugeiust ille same under the force ol' ille. flushing :und pumped ivhrougli the drill stern bv the pumps. There is the seme heed of fluid-in the drill seein is there is outside the drill stem, and besides this, there is en excess pressure due to the force of the pumps, This pressure is enough to force the lubricant out to the hearings against the pressure of the Water inthe hole. ln Ithis type of device, however, the mud. und sediment coneined in the flushing This barrel lilled lluid will sorntimes he forced pest lie pissen into the lubricant isel, and thus iuerfere with the smooth wor ring of the lubricant iu the bearings.

lt. is the object of my presen iniproveiuexry to so arrange elle lubricant und the piston fluit the llushing fluid will not lie readily carried pastt-he piston, and if leakage should occur, due to the faulty of piston in the barrel, that the unid will noi reedily get to the hearings..

Referring to the drawing in which lle preferred embodimen of my improvenieruJ is disclosed, l have shown therein e oentrsl longitudinal section through 'the drill siem., the lubricaior und *alle drill hir., perl of he said drill bit beingF in elevation for greater oleerness.

l/Vhile my luhrieuor is adopted ro 'e e upon an type el' roller boring drill, l lieve disclose the seine es being' secured upon en ordinary rype of Hughes come hir having o.

LEE

' heed provi-ded with eene-shaped rolling rh5\ cutters on the forward end thereof. upper shank of he 'oilJ is threaded er. 3 for stoehment 'to a drill collar which to connect the 1oi to the drill stern Centrally of ille upper end or the snunlr il is threaded nipple (l which serres es so teehmen for my lubricating device. This nipple 6 is holle-Werl ourJ centrally corr neeted by means or oil due-s to the hes-riu s el the rolling correre.

lubrieotor com e u'uular lor connection willi r. coupling 9 speeiel eonstrucion, which serres lo connect the lubricutor to the nipple e' the hit.. The roupling is provided with a eentrsllehsm nel l() lhereflirougli, which may loe closed luy ineens of a vulve 1l. 'llie upper end *lle lubrirator borrel is closed by ineens of s Y 12 which is screwed firmly ihereon, Tower the lower end: ,of the barrel l provide en opening 13 to allow the entrsnee el? flushing fluid to the lulriestor et thee point.

Mounted centrally Within the luliriouor barrel is a smaller ruhe lll. rl`his tube supported shits upper end by being filled` f .giirgs or enne which may be of leather,

- xrub er lor similar material, and secured to dell the body of the piston byl means of set Screws p, ln the operation of a drill equipped with the type o lubricator shown, the flushing timid, which is ordinarily a heavy mud, is pumped downwardly through the drill stein 5 to the bit and through the eonstricted channel 22 to the cutters. The iusliing fluid` under the force of the, punip pressure, will be directed through the opening 13 into the lubricant ehainber below the piston. The

s buovanoyo the iston and the force of the uslnng fluid wil act to move ,the pistou upwardly against the lubricant Within the chamber 23. The lubricant will be thereby oreed through the said tube, the channel l0 in the coupling, and the ducts 7 in the bit to the bearings of the cutters. lf, due to a poor iit between vthe piston andthe lubricator barrel, some of the mud is forced past the piston into the lubricant .chamber 23, the heavy gravity of the mud will iuaiutain it at the point below the lubricant, and will not tend to niix therewith, and to lgravitate to the bearings as may be done 1n the ordinary type of lubricator. The liability of the Inud or grit being' allowed entrance to the bearings will thus be avoided, The operator will therefore be assured et all times that While the lubricator is 'functioning the lubricant passing to the bearings, willE bevclear of grit or other substance tending to destroy the quality of the lubricant.

The further advantages of this arrangenient will be apparent to one skilled in the meinen art Without further description. What l claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a rotary eartli-boring drill, a drill stein, a drill head thereon, roller cutters mounted on bearings on said head, a lubriA cator barrel secured to the upper end or' said head within said drill stein, said barrel having an opening, for lushing fluid adjacent the lower end thereof, a buoyant piston in said barrel above said opening, a central tube secured to said head Within said barrel, said tube having an opening adjacent its upper end, anda passage from said tube through said heiulto'said bearings.

2. in a rotary eartli-borii'ig drill, a drill stein, a head thereon, roller cutters mounted on bearings on said head, a lubrieant barrel secured to said head within said drill Stein, said barrel having au opening for iushing fluid adjacent the lower end thereofv` a buoyant pistou in said barrel and iueans oonnected with the upper end of said barrel to conduct lubricant from said barrel to said head and through saine to the said bearings.

3. ln a rotary earth-boring drill, a drill stein, a drill head thereon, roller cutters inounted on bearings onsaid head, a lubri-l Gator barrel within said drill stein, a pistou in said barrel, buoyant means on said pistou acted upon by the iiushing fluid in said drill stein to 'force said piston upwardly inl said barrel and a tube leading from the upper end of said barrel to said head and duets 4in said head connectingl said tube and said bearings.

Mln a rotary earth-boring drill, a drill. stein, a drill head thereon, roller Cutters mounted on bearings on said head, a lubricator barrel in said drill stein having an opening adjacent its lower end, a buoyant piston above said opening, and a tube lead ing' from the upper end of said barrel to said head. said houd having' ducts therein con necting said tube and said bearings.

Inl testimony whereof, l hereunto ailix uiy signature, this the 24th day oi' February, A. D., 1923.

HOABD R. HUGHES. 

